In their early development, children need time to explore their own joyful innocent world of spontaneous play – in the present moment. When retained and carried through to adult life this quality of innocence manifests as imagination, inspiration, creativity, invention, originality, joy, delight, love and compassion.
Plato:
“Life must be lived as play.”
Aristotle:
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Allan Watts – British Philosopher 1915 – 1973:
“This is the real secret of life – to be completely engaged in what you are doing in the here and now – and instead of calling it WORK, realise it is PLAY.”
Friedrich Froebel:
“The child-soul is an ever-bubbling fountain in the world of humanity.”
Gabor Mate – Hungarian-Canadian physician – born 1944:
“Creativity consists in maintaining a key aspect of the experience of Childhood throughout one’s life: the capacity to create and re-create the world. Creativity is the omnipotence of the Child’s Mind…and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the Self.”
Stephen Powell: gaming reporter – from an article he wrote in “Entertainment and Arts” magazine (2022):
“Researchers have looked at how VIDEO GAMING is helping teenagers find friends and support networks.”
“Play can give those with severe physical and cognitive deterioration – because of old age or illness – moments of real JOY, just like they had as Children.”
Zaki Djemal – entrepreneur who has been hosting Backgammon tournaments in Jerusalem since 2016 with people from different religions and back grounds. Backgammon can be traced back 6.000years and these tournaments in Jerusalem have been bringing people from Israel and Palestine together in PLAY. He says:
“There’s something equalizing when you think about bringing people together to create a shared experience, to diffuse the existing tensions in a place like Jerusalem. It’s an optimal way to create an environment for positive dialogue and communication.”
Samantha Warren – Professor of Organisation Studies at University of Plymouth – has studied the effects of introducing Playfulness into the workplace of large Corporate Organisations. Her work suggests that being Playful can make large Business Organisations better with effects such as – reduced absenteeism, greater commitment, more creativity, better team building, general happiness. She warns that forced fun isn’t the answer! She says:
“It’s a paradox – a fun workplace is a more productive and creative workplace but the fun has to arise from the work itself. Not by being part of a mandatory process. It’s about what makes that day enjoyable. My research found that what people want is interesting and fulfilling work. The sense of achieving your goals is what makes the work fun.”
“Have a good old laugh at work.”
Dr. Carrie Ryan – University College of London. Is a passionate advocate of Bingo! She says:
“It’s the simplicity of it. You don’t have to know a lot of strategy; you don’t have to memorise tactics and it welcomes new comers. Playing Bingo was the one time I would see a lot of people who were often hunched over in their wheelchairs, enliven, straighten up their backs, laugh and experience smiles and joy in a way they just didn’t do at other times.”
Some look down on Bingo as a game with no skill and see it as a ‘waste of time’ but for Dr. Ryan any form of play that evokes emotions like excitement, anticipation, elation in brains that are struggling to make sense of the world is deserving of more respect.
Lina Eklund – Swedish Professor from Uppsala University:
“Academics are arguing hat PLAY needs to be treated more seriously.”
“PLAY in its many weird and wonderful forms, can offer a common ground that brings adults together, not just teenagers.”
Drew Altschul – Psychologist at the University of Edinburgh has been following a study that started to research Children’s behaviour in Scotland back in the 1940’s. It tracked their thinking skills as they grew older:
“People who played more games at age 70 had a less steep decline overall in their thinking skills. Reading, writing, playing music – didn’t have the same effect. It was only the games.”
Albert Einstein:
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my Imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”